Hal Kurfehs: Brookfield is making economic progress

Hal Kurfehs

Published 5:19 pm, Thursday, August 29, 2013

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This is in response to Bill Schappert's "Where I Stand" article (The News-Times, Aug. 23) about Republican policies in Brookfield. I had no problem with his opinion, until it went off the deep-end about two-thirds through.

At that point he made a series of points on which I heartily disagree, such as:

Claim: "Development of new enterprises in Brookfield has been a failure..."

It is no accident that the tax contribution of the commercial sector in Brookfield has kept residential taxes among the lowest in the region. Further, Money Magazine's selection of Brookfield as the best small town in Connecticut is a great vote of confidence.

We have added BJ's and an expanded Costco, along with other new ventures and developments -- some already building, others approved and ready to go, and other projects in the planning stage.

Keep in mind that the Economic Development Commission (EDC) is mainly an advisory group, but has also played an activist role in support of important initiatives, and has been an outspoken advocate for the retention and expansion of important businesses. Given the weak economic climate from 2007 to present, there have been few instances anywhere of recruitment of new business, but Brookfield has succeeded in beating those odds anyway.

Further, be aware that the seven members of the EDC are unpaid volunteers with a tiny budget. To say that we provide a good return on investment to the town would be a gross understatement.

As commission chair, I have published six extensive opinion pieces in The News-Times -- three on economic issues affecting Brookfield and the region, and three on the then-emerging 4-Corners Town District.

The 4-Corners articles examined the policy issues and recommended direction prior to the formal study by the Fitzgerald Halliday consultants. It is noteworthy that this consultant study subsequently affirmed the conclusions and direction outlined in these articles.

Bill Schappert evidently does not remember that he was one of the leaders responsible for the confrontation with Costco when it applied for an expansion at a new location within Brookfield. Costco was so enraged with the town that it was actively looking at other sites outside of town. The EDC and others worked to restore good will with the company, and I was able to arrange the sale of an adjacent property so that Costco could expand and establish a fueling station in the process.

EDC has also been extremely active in the development of the 4-Corners Town Center, both in planning and execution. Regarding the latter, I was directly involved in the approval of one property and I am actively working with investors on proposals for five other properties.

In the last 4 to 5 years EDC made zoning regulation proposals to encourage development of the Town Center. Bill Schappert and others were opposed -- could this have lengthened the time it has taken to generate the momentum that is currently being enjoyed?

Bill Schappert's parting shot was "Let's look around and see what other towns have done and take the best data that we can find. Let's not talk, but act."

Sorry, Bill, but we have been doing that for three years now -- that's when the Western Connecticut Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) was formed, with a priority to establish a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the 10-municipality region, including Brookfield. This CEDS, which is expected to be completed this fall with the assistance of our consultants, will promote the region and its individual towns. Competition from other states is usually organized on a county basis so they can marshal more resources, so this is the sensible route for us.

I know the amount of time and effort that has been put forth by the Brookfield Economic Development Commission and the Western Connecticut Economic Development Alliance and I will not allow it to be diminished by unsupportable claims.

Hal Kurfehs is chairman of the Brookfield Economic Development Commission of the Western Connecticut Economic Development Alliance. He is vice president of Coldwell Banker Commercial, Scalzo Group.